levitation is a part of many fantasy flicks and magic routines. Researchers have been using sound waves to make objects float for a long time. Everything from two-inch styrofoam balls to a grid of tiny particles has been lifted by sound waves. The technology has seen limited use in the real world.
Researchers from the Public University of Navarre's UpnaLab and the University of So Paolo in Brazil propose the use of acoustic levitation as a way to complement the rapid Additive Manufacturing techniques many industries now rely on. The team created an acoustic levitator that can generate acoustic fields capable of trapping and holding objects like sticks and other materials, and then attached it to a robot arm that allows these objects to be accurately positioned and assembled onto a larger structure.
The levitator can do more than just manipulate objects. It can pick up materials that are used to bond parts together. In a video, the levitator applies drops of an adhesive to a matchstick structure, which can be quickly hardened with a blast of ultraviolet light.
The researchers can't use their machine to build a building. Lifting capabilities are limited to small objects. It isn't useless until it can be scaled up to handle bigger projects.
Developing machines that can safely handle small and extremely fragile parts is one of the challenges of building the incredibly small or detailed components that go into electronics. That could be a good place to use this acoustical manipulator. Because sound waves pose no risk of cross-contamination, acoustic levitation could be useful for handling hot materials that pose a risk of damage through physical contact.
The acoustic levitator's ability to move parts behind barriers or inside existing structures is very difficult for 3D printers and very difficult for physical manipulators.
You can read more about LeviPrint in the paper that was recently published by the researchers.
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